Unit 2 say yes

Unit 2 Say Yes -Tobias WolffI. Teaching Objectives: A. To guide students to know the background of the text and the authorB. To help students understand the text and figure out the themeC. To learn the new words and review word formationD. To encourage students to paraphrase the sentences in the textII. Teaching Contents and Points:A. Teaching Focus1. The usage of some useful words, phrases and expressions2. Understanding of difficult grammatical points and long sentences in the text 3. Understanding of the main idea of the text by self-readingB. Key Points 1. Paraphrase and understanding of long sentences in the text 2. Appreciation and recognition of writing techniques and style of the textIII. Teaching Aids and Properties: Recording of the textIV. Teaching Approaches:1. Group discussion 2. PresentationV. Teaching Procedures: 1. Warming-up and Leading-in (5mins) 2. Text Analysis (270mins) a. Background b. Structurec. Language Points (words, phrases, sentence pattern, grammatical points)d. Main idea and theme analysis 3. In-class Activities (40mins)4. After-text Discussion (45mins) 5. Exercise and Assignment (180mins)VI. Teaching Comments and Reflections :( Filled in immediately after class)Supplementary Notes on the Text：1. Warming-up and Leading-inWarming-up Activities1) What kind of person would you like to marry?2) Have you ever thought of marrying a foreigner or a black person?3) Do you personally approve of “mixed marriages”?4) What do you know about racism in the U.S.A.?5) Then, listen to a song; please tell me what is the theme of the song?Love is Color-Blindn It dont matter if youre blackwhite or yellow, if youre brown or redlets get down to thatlove is color-blindI remember whenI was a child and couldnt understandpeople having fundiscriminating all the different onesmama just used to saywhen you grow up youll maybe find a wayto make these people seethat everything I do comes back to men You gotta live your liveswere all the same, no ones to blamethey gotta live their livesjust play the game and let love reign n It dont matter if youre blackwhite or yellow, if your brown or redlets get down to thatlove is color-blindyoure my brother, youre my friendall that matters in the very end is to understandlove is color-blind n I remember as a young boyI watched my neighborhood go up in flamesI saw the whole thing thru tears of painand a situations racking my brainI wish I could fly away and never come back againwe need some love yallwe need some real deal help from above yallI mean the kids watchingand I just cant see it stopping, I dont understandI mean we all bleed the same blood, man!n You gotta live your lifebetter than our fathers didlets make some love, baby, have some kidsthey gotta live their livesand I dont care what color they are, or you are, or we areits all love, baby!n It dont matter if youre blackwhite or yellow, if your brown or redlets get down to thatlove is color-blindyoure my brother, youre my friendall that matters in the very end is to understandlove is color-blindn You have been my motheryou could have been my brotherwhat if you were my sisterif you were my father?you could have been my fellowyou could have been my teacherwhat if you were my friend?would be so nice to meet youn take it out to the worldtell every boy and every little girlbe proud of yourselfcause youre as good as anybody elseput away your prejudiceopen your mind, dont need a stick to thistry to make this eartha better place without a racial curse n Yeah, its time for some changes n It dont matter if youre blackwhite or yellow, if your brown or redlets get down to thatlove is color-blindyoure my brother, youre my friendall that matters in the very end is to understandlove is color-blind2. Background Information 1) About the AuthorTobias Wolff (1945) was born in Alabama in 1945. His parents divorced when he was a boy. Wolffs mother retained custody of him. As a child, Wolff traveled with his mother, Rosemary, to the Pacific Northwest, where she remarried. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, young Tobias soon was forced to endure life under his strict and cruel stepfather. His efforts to get away from his stepfather led to his self-transformation. That period of Wolffs life is recounted in This Boys Life: A Memoir, which was later made into a film.He lives with his family in upstate New York and teaches writing at Syracuse University.From 1964 through 1968, Wolff served as a lieutenant (陆军中尉) with the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) in Vietnam. He later recounted his wartime experiences in the memoir In the Pharaohs Army: Memoirs of the Lost War. In 1972 Wolff earned his B.A. and then his M.A. from Oxford University with First Class Honors in English three years later.He is the author of the short novel The Barracks Thief, which won the 1985 PEN/Faulkner Award; two collections of short stories, Back in the World (collecting “Say Yes”) and In the Garden of the North American Martyrs, which received the Saint Lawrence Award for fiction in 1982. 2) RacismRacism: the belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. Racism has been called the national curse of the United States ever since the first black slaves were brought into this continent. We all know the sufferings of the blacks as described in Uncle Toms Cabin; we also know about the Ku Klux Klan and the Jim Crow Laws. But since the Civil Right movement of the1960s, a lot of changes have taken place, and the racial relationship has improved. However racism is still very much alive. The only thing is that it now may take more subtle forms.3) Ku Klux KlanKoo Klucks Klan also known as KKK: a secret white supremacist (至上主义者) organization at various times in American history terrorized blacks and white sympathizers with violent acts of lynching (处私刑), shootings and whippings. n Founded: 1866n Founder: Confederate (盟军) Civil War veterans (退伍军人)n Headquarters: Powderly, Kentucky; Butler, Indiana; Jasper, Texas n Background: The Klan has fragmented into scores of competing factions. Most of these are nominally (名义上地) independent.n Estimated size: no more than a few thousand, organized into slightly more than 100 unitsn Media: mass mailings (邮寄), leafleting (传单) and the Internetn Strategy: public rallies (集会) and protestsn Ideology: some Christian fundamentalist beliefs, Christian Identity, white supremacy n Financial support: little, Even Imperial Wizards have to hold day jobs. Most funding comes from membership dues and sales of Klan paraphernalia (随身用具). 4) Jim Crow LawsRacial segregation, called “Jim Crow”, excluded blacks from public transport and facilities, jobs, juries, and neighborhoods. Blacks had separate hospitals, prisons, orphanages (孤儿院), parks and pools (足球场). The 19th century ended with the races firmly segregatedculturally and legally. 3. Text Analysis 1) A Brief Introduction of the Text “Say Yes” takes as its backdrop an average evening in the life of a married couple. When the conversation delves into an issue on which the couple do not agree, the relationship experiences a newfound rockiness. The husbands reaction to this argument demonstrates the secret undercurrents that run through relationships. 2) An Analysis of the Text Structure On an ordinary night after supper a common talk different attitudes conflicts Part 1 (Paras. 1-13): Ann and her husband argue about marriage between blacks and whites.Part 2 (Paras. 14-46): As their argument intensifies it becomes personal.Part 3 (Paras. 47-57): He gives in and their argument is seemingly settled.3) Detailed Study 1. They were doing the dishes, his wife washing while he dried. To do the dishes means to wash the dishes or clean the dishes. Pay attention tothese verb-noun collocations. More examples form the text: n to call sb.s name; to mop the floor; to dry the dishes; to wipe the table; to demonstrate the difference; to take a breath; to win the argument; to spray the silverware; to pinch ones brows; to bite ones lower lipRefresh students memory of the use of adjectives as verbs. More examples: to empty ones pockets; to wet ones lips; to narrow the gap; to dirty ones hands; to clear the street; to clean the room; to long for the vacation; to busy oneself with sth.; to thin out the corn; to calm down; to cool down; to warm ones hands over the fire; to smooth things over; to dry ones tears2. Unlike most men he knew, he really pitched in on the housework. Do not mix up “unlike” and “dislike”. The former is the opposite of the preposition “like” while the latter is the opposite of the verb or noun of “like”. More examples: n Unlike many young people of his background, he hates the attention he is given because of his father n Unlike the United Stated, Japan largely relies on bank loans for its capital needs. n Unlike many other government officials, he is neither corrupt nor corruptible. pitch in1) to start working energetically e.g. They all pitched in and soon finished the job.2) to offer help and support e.g. They pitched in with contributions of money.housework: domestic duties such as cleaning and cooking (not to be confused with “homework”)3. A few months earlier hed overheard a friend o his wifes congratulating her on having such a considerate husband. Review the verb pattern” verb + (pro)noun + doing sth. More examples: n I overheard the young couple quarreling last night. n She overheard the men discussing their play to rob a bank. a friend of his wifes: one of his wifes friends (The person that is referred to here is not obvious within the situation.) Notice the use of the possessive pronoun “his” here. congratulate sb. on sth. More examples:n They all congratulated me on winning the first prize. n When I grew older, I realized that I really should have congratulated myself on having such a poor but loving father. considerate: thoughtful; kind; careful not to hurt or cause inconvenience to othersn consider v.n considerate: a. showing kind regard for the feelings, thoughtful, careful not to hurt or cause inconvenience to othersE.g. It is considerate of you not to play the piano while I was having a sleep.n considerable: a. rather large or great , as in size , distance, or extentE.g. He bought a house at a considerable expense.n considering: prep. in view of, having regard toE.g. Shes very active, considering her age.4. somehow got on the subject of whether white people should marry black people. somehow: in some way (I dont remember how it happened), e. g.n That day somehow I didnt feel like eating. n We went to Wangfujing together the other day and somehow I couldnt find him anywhere. get on (to): to begin to discusswhether white people should marry black people: whether it is advisable or a good idea for white people to marry black people. “Should” here does not mean “must”. 5. He said that all things considered, he thought it was a bad idea. all things considered: when one considers every aspect of the problem or situation, e.g.n All things considered, he is doing pretty well at school. (Under these conditions he is doing quite well.)n All things considered, the reform is a success. (There are many problems of course.)6. Sometimes his wife got this look where she pinched her brows together and bit her lower lip.“Where” here is used as a relative adverb introducing an attributive clause which modifies the word “look”. Make students compare: n He went to a school, which was very far from where he lived. n He went to school where he learned many interesting things. n I saw a movie last night which was real junk. n I saw a movie last night where there was a lot of violence. pinch her brows together: to contract or squeeze her eyebrows; to frown7. .and Ive worked with blacks and weve always gotten along just fine. Notice how the man tried to show that he was not a racist. The man of course was by no means the worst kind of racist. In fact, he would be considered quite liberal. But it is precisely the fact that even decent people are deeply influenced that shows the seriousness of the matter. gotten: past participle of “get” in American English8. I dont need you coming along now and implying that Im a racist. Here, “you coming along ” is the complex object to the verb “need”.9. I just dont see whats wrong with a white person marrying a black person, thats all. Heres another example of a complex object (a white person marrying) to a preposition (with). More examples: n Whats wrong with peasants coming to big cities to look for jobs?n Whats wrong with people demanding to know how their taxes are being spent?10. They dont come from the same culture. As racial discriminations based on color differences are now totally discredited, today many people try to justify their prejudices by cultural differences. 11. Thats okay with me, I like hearing them talk. But its different. Thats okay with me: I have no objection to thatBut its different: “It” here stands for “marriage”. 12. Like you know me?In informal English, “like” is often used as a conjunction (= as or as if). More examples:n Like I said, I cant get there by 5 p.m.n Do you speak to Children like you speak to adults?13. Oh boy, he thought. “Oh boy” is used often in American English when someone is slightly annoyed. The man was annoyed because his wife was determined to pursue the argument. 14. Dont take my word for it. Look at the statistics. You dont have to accept what I say as true. Look at the statistics.take someones word for it: (spoken) used to say that someone should accept what you say as true, e.g.n Take my word for it, this boy is going to have a bright future.n You can take my word for it, I will never let you down. 15. She was piling dishes on the draining-board at a terrific rate. Many of them were still greasy. at a terrific rate: at a great speed. “Rate” means “speed” as also in “growth rate”.greasy: covered with grease (animal fat softened by cooking or heating) as in food, dishes, skin, hair, fingers. 16. “Yes, different,” he snapped, angry with her for resorting to this trick of repeating his words so that they sounded hypocritical. snap: to say sth. quickly and angrilyresort to this trick: to adopt this method “Trick” is often something you do to deceive or outwit. 17. and threw all the silverware back into the sink. “Ware” means manufactured goods. It is often used to form compound words such as silverware, ironware, software, hardware, glassware, earthenware, ovenware. 18. She stared down at it, her lips pressed tight together, then plunged her hands under the surface. She stared down at it, with her lips pressed tight “Pressed” here is past participle and “tight” modifies “lips”. plunge: (to cause sth.) to fall suddenly and with force, e.g.n The fish plunged deep into the water. n This scandal plunged the government into a serous crisis. 19. He ran upstairs to the bathroom and rummaged in the medicine chest for alcohol, cotton, and a Band-Aid. rummage: to search for sth. by moving things around in a careless wayIt is usually used in the following patterns: n to rummage in a place for sth.; n to rummage through a place for sth.; n to rummage around20. (he) dabbed at her thumb with the cotton. dab: to touch sth. lightly, usually several timesIt is usually used in the following patterns:n to dab at a certain place (a bleeding lip for instance) with sth.; n to dab sth. on or onto some place21. He hoped that she appreciated how quickly he had come to her aid. come to her aid: to come to help herAlso, to come to our rescue = to come to rescue us22. Hed acted out of concern for her, he thought that it would be a nice gesture on her part not to start up that conversation again, Refresh students memory of “out of concern”. out of: because of, e.g.n I just followed the crowd out of curiosity. n The job was not very well paid. She took it just out of interest. n I really have no excuse. I did it out of carelessness and stupidity. Paraphrase:The man had shown concern for his wife, and he hoped that his wife would show her concern in return by not continuing this unpleasant conversation. 23. So you wouldnt have married me if Id been black. Help the students review this pattern by asking them to respond to questions like the following: n He knew there was a burglar in the house, but he was alone and unarmed. Now what would you have done if you had been in that situation?n He discovered a bag of gold. Do you know what he did with it? What would you have done if you had found so much money?n If you had been in Tangshan that night, what would you have done the moment you realized that it was an earthquake?24. “For Christs sake, Ann!”“For Christs sake” is often used to express annoyance too, like “Oh boy”. The man was really upset that his wife wouldnt stop. 25. debating clubStudents should remember that “debating” here is a gerund used as the attributive of “club”. More examples: n rinsing nozzle; reading materials; teaching method; eating habits; speaking mannersNotice: 1) Sometimes such kind of noun phrases becomes compound words (with or without hyphens): sitting-room, sleeping-pills, dining-car2) There is a subtle difference between these noun phrases and phrases modified by present participles. “A sl